Tag Archives: medicalized birth

I tried to catch as much of the Henci Goer chatter on twitter as I could tonight. We have a full house tonight (our 3 plus 2 neighbor kids spending the night, oy!) so I’m playing with less than a full deck. Ha!

Disclaimer: Since I read these tweets on a public hashtag channel, I’m not asking permission to repost. If anyone wants their tweet removed or wants to clarify a tweet, please let me know.

anderzoid#ICAN2011 henci goer: how much we have over medicalized birth? IV drip- not allowed to eat or drink – induction- cord clamping- etcI assume this was a slide of the topics used to justify the point that birth is over medicalized. My previous research leads me to concur that these are some of the ‘biggies.’

poderyparto Ineffective & harmful practices: sonograms to estimate fetal weight, planned cesarean for breech,not supported by research. #ICAN2011Ultrasound is such a poor diagnostic tool for assessing fetal weight in the 3rd trimester. I can’t recall exactly ‘when’ ultrasound is more accurate for predicting due ‘dates,’ but it’s very early on – I’m thinking 8-12 weeks gestation, but don’t quote me on that. Only one mom out of the many I know personally that were told they were going to have a big baby actually did have a big baby. Friends and family members who have had 3rd trimester estimates done with specialists have birthed babies 2 pounds lighter than predicted!!!! Regarding the no-questions-asked cesarean for breech – a flawed Canadian study is what dictates current US practice. Thank goodness Canada is taking the lead to restore breech as a version of normal.

bbybirthingmama Scheduling a section for breech, twins, “big baby” and slow labor are not supported by research! #ICAN2011I was sad to discover that 75% of twins in Montana are born by cesarean. I imagine all breeches are born by cesarean except for the rare surprise breech or unattended breech births. Many docs aren’t ‘allowed’ by their insurance companies to deliver breeches naturally – how convenient for them. Slow labor – yeah! Most women just DON’T dilate 1cm/hr. I REPEAT – MOST WOMEN AREN’T GONNA DILATE ACCORDING TO FRIEDMAN’S CURVE.

tconsciousdoula The way to get a VBAC? Tell the Dr you are planning on having 10 children! #ican2011Now that’s a good one. I’ll have to add that one to my list!

babydickey: Perinatal death from csec scar uterine rupture is 6 in 10,000. But did you know pregnancy loss from amniocentesis is 60 in 10,000? #ICAN2011AND Unnecesarean 6% of scar ruptures—> perinatal death (3 per 10,000). Compare to excess risk of pregnancy loss from amniocentesis… 60 per 10,000. #ICAN2011Here’s what was stated in the NIH VBAC Report: “Approximately 6 percent of uterine ruptures will result in perinatal death. This is an overall risk of intrapartum fetal death of 20 per 100,000 women undergoing trial of labor. For term pregnancies, the reported risk of fetal death with uterine rupture is less than 3 percent.”

tconsciousdoula planned VBAC should be the norm (87%) actual rate is 9% (2007) #ican2011Add this information to your notebooks in case you need to make the case for VBAC to a doctor, a nurse, a hospital administrator, or a friend.

tiffrobyn A 41 week pregnancy is not only normal, it is AVERAGE! #ICAN2011Like . . . duh. Why have care providers forgotten that? Well, statistically that may not be the exact average for all childbearing groups (i.e. primip vs. multip), but it’s absolutely ridiculous to pressure a woman into inducing at 41 weeks. Some providers will start pressuring you at 39 weeks, especially if you let them anywhere near your cervix!

shedenka So hospitals and docs tell ALL women “you can’t eat/drink” during labor. Total CYA: aspiration risk is 3.2 women out of 10 million #ICAN2011

nashvillebirth Henci Goer makes my head hurt in a good way. She always melts my face off. #ICAN2011*Giggle* This really made me smile. I love having my brain hurt in a good way. It’s invigorating!!

bbybirthingmama Early Cord Clamping can take up to 40% of newborns blood volume! #ICAN2011I had no idea! All of my babies have had their cords clamped immediately. I will definitely add this to my notebook – I had decided a while back that I wanted delayed cord clamping. I know it’s not really a strange thing to ask of a CPM but may be strange for an OB.

anderzoid Henci Goer still on ineffective & HARMFUL practices: Care by an OB for LOW-risk & MODERATE-risk women #ican2011This point was made by a NYC OB in “The Business of Being Born.” It’s overkill, and generally speaking, normal birth just isn’t exciting enough for them. Plus, most of them have never seen a normal birth – especially the younger OBs.

anderzoid: #ICAN2011#ppdchat Henci Goer: it’s hard to get #PTSD on radar bc TRAUMA is centered in Institution. DEPRESSION is centered in women.This is a very interesting statement and one that I’d like to have fleshed out for me. I can almost grasp it but not quite. I will say that people seem to be aware of PPD and acknowledge it but are less able to grasp PTSD as it relates to childbirth (or pregnancy loss).

Want to read more conference hi-lights? Here is part 2 and part 1 of my Impactful Tweets “coverage.”

DH & I have a big to do list for the weekend, so I don’t know how thorough future posts will be. Enjoy the weekend!

I don’t understand why hospital birth pushers (as in ALL women should have their babies “delivered” at hospitals) generally don’t understand or respect natural birth advocates’ (unhindered/non-interventive birth regardless of location) concerns over the growing number of complicated births and cesareans performed in this country!

Look at these media google alerts from today!

‘A’ first baby in Capital RegionAlbany Times Union – Albany,NY,USA
The doctor performed a cesarean section. Kin filled the waiting room. Avery is their first baby, but they hope to have more children who will also have …

Boy, did he arrive early!The Standard – Hong Kong
The 3.46kg boy, who still hasnt been named, arrived at the stroke of midnight by cesarean section. His mother Chan Ha-ling, 32, had suffered from labor …

[Not a cesarean birth!]New Year’s baby born at Overlake
Seattle Times – United States
By Seattle Times staff Puget Sound’s first baby of the New Year was born at Overlake Hospital Childbirth Center in Bellevue, a hospital official said. …

One in six reported first births of the year was NOT a cesarean. Can someone explain this to me?!?!?!!! I don’t want to speculate here though plenty of thoughts are going through my head, I must admit.

If only more people were aware of the serious implications and complications of cesarean birth. I am not talking about emergency cesarean or even emergent cesarean . . . sometimes babies have to be born this way. But I know from my research and interactions with birth professionals that cesarean surgery is way over-used. That augmentation is way over-used. That induction is way over-used. That many women are not allowed to gestate to term (term being 38-42 weeks, generally). That women with cesarean scars are finding it incredibly difficult to have vaginal births. That women who desire to VBAC are being told “no” without good justification, and that these women accept that response. That women are socialized to fear childbirth, to fear their bodies, to fear their power.